Traditionally, portable hands-free breast pumping apparatuses enable a lactating woman to collect milk without holding the breast pump in place so as to free the woman to perform other tasks. Apparatuses for pumping breast milk typically include a breast pump for pumping the breast milk, a breast shield which covers and attaches the pump to the breast, suction tubing for connecting the pump to the breast shield, and a bottle, bottles or other collection containers connected to the breast shield for collecting the breast milk. Additionally, a separate support strap or brassiere is required to secure the pump to the breasts by securing the pump's breast shield to the breasts. The support brassieres or straps used in “hand-free” style pumping, normally function by holding the pump's breast shield to breasts.
For examples, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,996 issued to Angel Fields (Fields '996 patent), entitled “Breast Milk Pump Support Harness,” teaches to secure the breast milk pump against the breast and discloses that “detachable collection bottle support assemblies” are attached to the brassiere at fix locations and not to the halter strap. The attachment of the support cups to the brassier would also create torque on the breasts and nipples due to the increasing weight of the milk collection containers. Thus, the device in the Field '996 would not provide as much support to the milk collection containers from underneath, and would increase the chance of pulling on the breasts and nipples from the weight of the milk collection containers.
Further, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,377 issued to Jonathan C. Gillan (Gillan '377 patent), entitled “Hands-Free Breast Milk Expression System,” teaches “a strap can suspend from a nursing mother's neck, thereby suspending a pair of breast milk collection devices near the nursing mother's breast.” Though the Gillan '377 patent discloses that the strap can secure the milk collection devices in positions near the breasts, it does not teach the support of the weight of the milk collection containers.
Similarly, the U.S. Pat. No. 7,611,399 issued to Merilee Brigham (Brigham '399 patent), entitled “Hands-Free Breast Pumping Support Device,” also discloses an adjustable strap, but the strap is connected with the breast pumping device and does not support the weight of the milk collection containers. Neither Gillan '377 patent nor Brigham '399 patent includes support cups to fully secure and support the increasing weight of the milk collection containers.
Since these apparatuses do not support the weight of the milk collection containers from underneath when the milk is being collected, the disadvantage of such apparatuses is that as the volume of milk pumped increase, the weight of the milk in the milk collection containers may pull down on the breasts and nipples, which can cause great discomfort and subsequently cause the mother to have to hold the milk collection containers to support their weight, thus requiring the use of the user's hands. In short, the practical “hands-free” pumping requires utility of two mechanisms: that of securing the breast shield to the breast, and that of supporting the weight of the collection containers from underneath.
The object of the present invention is to provide a convenient hands-free nursing system that can support the weight of the milk collection containers, including bottles, bags, or other receptacles, so as to eliminate any pull on the breasts and use of the user's hands to support the weight of the milk collection containers.
More specifically, the object of the present invention provides a halter support device for carrying and supporting the milk collection containers so that there is no need for the user to hold the milk collection containers during breast pumping, while also preventing the breast shields and the increasing weight of the milk collection containers from pulling down on the breasts and nipples of the user.